Disability Services - The Law

Federal law states that . . .

"No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States ... shall, solely by reason of ... disability, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

A person with a disability includes . . .

"any person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment." A "qualified person with a disability" is defined as one . . .

"who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the educational program or activity."

Federal law protects the rights of qualified individuals who have disabilities generally

Blindness/visual impairment

Cerebral palsy

AIDS

Deafness/hearing impairment

Arthritis

Epilepsy or seizure disorder

Cancer

Orthopedic/mobility impairment

Cardiac disease

Specific learning disability

Diabetes

Speech and language disorder

Multiple sclerosis

Spinal cord injury

Muscular dystrophy

Tourettes syndrome

Psychiatric disability

Traumatic brain injury

Under the provisions of Federal law . . .

Adams State University may not discriminate in the recruitment, admission, educational process, or treatment of students. Students who have self-identified, provided satisfactory documentation of disability, and requested reasonable accommodations are entitled to receive reasonable accommodations, appropriate academic adjustments, or auxiliary aids and services that enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities.

Federal law specifies that colleges and universities may not . . .

limit the number of students with disabilities admitted, make preadmission inquiries as to whether or not an applicant has a disability, use admission tests or criteria that inadequately measure the academic qualifications of qualified students with disabilities because required accommodations were not made, exclude a qualified student with a disability from any course of study, or establish rules and policies that may adversely affect qualified students with disabilities.

Modifications and accommodations for students with disabilities generally include, but ar

removal of architectural barriers

provision of services such as readers for students with blindness, visual impairments, or learning disabilities; scribes for students with orthopedic impairments; and note-takers for students with hearing impairments, learning disabilities, or orthopedic impairments

provision of modifications, substitutions, or waivers of courses in major fields of study or degree requirements on a case-by-case basis (such an accommodation need not be made if the institution can demonstrate that the changes requested would substantially alter essential elements of the course or program)